Gibraltar Settlement Not Possible In Short Term, Says MacShane

by Jason Gorringe, Tax-News.com, London

10 June 2003

In an interview conducted with Spanish daily El Pais this week, British Foreign Office minister Denis MacShane suggested that there is unlikely to be a resolution to the Gibraltar question for at least thirty years.

The interview followed a round of bi-lateral discussions with his Spanish counterpart Ramon de Miguel, whom he met for the first time last Friday. However, MacShane insisted that Gibraltar was not the main topic of the talks, and that the two nations had more important issues to deal with, such as the European constitution.

MacShane's stance on the Gibraltar question appears to be borne of pragmatism. In an earlier interview, the minister declared that: "I've been in politics too long to bang my head against a brick wall." Ultimately, says MacShane, Gibraltar's democratic rights must be respected.

"I think Madrid and London have more important things to talk about," the minister told El Pais, adding that: "I don't think the people of Gibraltar will approve any steps on sovereignty until there has been a long period of calm and good relations with Spain."

"I have respect for the Spanish position, but quite simply, I do not see any positive outcome on the issue for some time," he observed.

One issue relating to Gibraltar on which the British government does have a firm line is the military base, which it wants to remain firmly under British control. When asked whether this was still the case, MacShane was clear: "Absolutely. Britain and France are the only countries in Europe prepared to accept military responsibilities that go beyond the defence of their own territory or that of Europe. If Europe wishes to be a world power, then Britain's bases around the world must remain, including Gibraltar."

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